REVEALED: How children in Brazil are climbing 70-foot trees and earning just $6 PER DAY to harvest acai berries - with the fashionable bowls costing $10 a pop in NYC

A hard-hitting documentary has shed light on the hazardous child labor involved in harvesting acai berries, which remain a fashionable and high-priced superfood in the West.

The short film, commissioned by the CNN Freedom Project, takes viewers to the heart of the Amazon in Brazil, where the small, black-purple fruits are found. 

Sao Paulo-based journalist Julia Vargas Jones travels on a boat before daybreak with a group of teenage boys who are involved in the dangerous practice of picking the berries.

As the fruit is found right at the top of the palm trees, the boys must master the art of shimmying up the spindly trunks and many injuries - sometimes fatal - occur as the result of falls.

A hard-hitting documentary has shed light on the hazardous child labor involved in harvesting acai berries. Pictured journalist Julia Vargas Jones with 13-year-old acai picker Lucas Oliviera

The short film, commissioned by the CNN Freedom Project, takes viewers to the heart of the Amazon in Brazil, where the small, black-purple fruits are found

Despite the risks involved, according to a 2018 scholarly paper by Dr. Monique Vanni, acai pickers (known as peconheiros) only make around $6 to $16 a day, depending on the region they are working in. 

Dr Vanni notes that generally each worker picks an average of 10 'latas' or baskets a day, which equates to about 310lbs. 

As the tall palms, which can grow up to 70ft tall, cannot support much weight, young children are recruited as pickers. 

They do not wear protective gear and the only thing they use is a swathe of burlap wrapped around their bare feet to help them grip the tree trunks. 

Along with the risk of falling, the documentary highlights that there are many other dangers in the jungle with 'deadly snakes, scorpions, and jaguars' being among some of the unsavory things lurking.  

In the CNN film, Lucas Oliviera, aged 13, reveals that he has been picking acai berries for the past two years while attending school so he can help his older brother support their seven siblings. 

He tells Julia that he gives the money he earns to his mother, and she in turn 'gives him back a smaller portion.'

When asked what he does with the money he keeps, Lucas, who comes from a small village outside the northern city of Macapá, responds: 'To buy my school supplies.' 

Sao Paulo-based journalist Jones travels on a boat before daybreak with a group of teenage boys who are involved in the dangerous practice of picking the berries

Each worker picks an average of 10 'latas' or baskets a day, which equates to around 310lbs

While acai berry picking is dangerous and dirty work, Amazonian community leader Nerivan Da Silva says that 'it's out of need and not having food on the table.'

He also notes that it is a tradition that has been going on for more than 100 years, and it is 'passed down from father to son.'

Acai picking is one of many forms of child labor in Brazil. 

According to a report from Brazil's statistics bureau, there were 1.9 million children and adolescents between five and 17 years old in child labor in the country during 2022.

Of this number, 22.8 per cent were found to be involved in agricultural activities. 

In the CNN documentary, it is stated that more than 8,000 tons of acai berries were exported in 2022, worth over $26 million dollars. 

However, workers such as Lucas 'will only get a fraction of that number.'

Allan Bruno, who is a prosecutor investigating cases of forced child labor in Brazil, says the one of the biggest challenges in breaking the cycle is 'educating workers and children of their rights.'

They do not wear protective gear and the only thing they use is a swathe of burlap wrapped around their bare feet to help them grip the tree trunks

While the acai outlets market themselves as being health conscious, critics say that they conveniently paper over the issue of hazards of child labor (stock image)

He adds: 'This is a reality of the rural world. Some of them can't read, write or even count. Their needs are so basic, it's almost unfathomable.'

On a more poignant note, the documentary concludes with Nerivan Da Silva inviting people to 'come see the culture where the acai comes from because more often than not, people have no idea how much work it is to get it to your table.'

Acai has been part of the Brazilian diet for hundreds of years, but it gained popularity in the US during the 2000s with its purported health benefits.

It is believed the berries, which are rich in antioxidants, could help lower blood sugar levels, reduce swelling and help protect cells from damage. 

Now in cities such as Los Angeles and New York there are dozens of outlets dedicated to 'acai bowls,' with the small artfully displayed dishes priced at upwards of $10. The acai is usually served as a sorbet or puree as this prolongs its shelf life. 

While the acai outlets market themselves as being health conscious, critics say that they conveniently paper over the issue of hazards of child labor.

Acai has been part of the Brazilian diet for hundreds of years, but it gained popularity in the US in the 2000s (stock image)

In cities such as Los Angeles and New York there are dozens of outlets dedicated to 'acai bowls,' with the small artfully displayed dishes priced at upwards of $10 (stock image)

In 2023, the Corporate Accountability Lab (CAL) sued the California-based acai-focused food company Sambazon for wrongly marketing the supply chain as sustainable. 

Staff attorney Avery Kelly explains in an open letter: 'Although children often perform the dangerous work of harvesting acai, Sambazon's consumer marketing paints the company's supply chain as sustainable. 

'For example, its website touts a triple bottom line philosophy ensuring that "[f]rom its origin on the palm tree, to the finished product in your palm as you take a bite: every step of our Acai's journey is purposeful."

'Sambazon also claims to "oversee every step" of its products' journey. But CAL believes the company fails to back this up with sourcing practices that are different from the industry norm.'

Looking at what changes are needed to forge a more sustainable future in the world of acai, she concludes: 'Acai-harvesting communities in the Brazilian Amazon are demanding that companies like Sambazon address head-on the major risks associated with sourcing acai, and that they restructure sourcing practices to maximize benefits to communities – not pretend that human rights risks are not present.'

Sambazon CEO Ryan Black previously denied that the company purchased açaí harvested by children, according to the Washington Post.

He said the company only buys from certified sellers and that the company’s community-building projects give farmers an incentive to follow its rules.